A’Ibom Imposes Curfew on Ibeno as Indigenes, Ilaje Fishermen Clash

Okon Bassey

Akwa Ibom State Government has imposed a çurfew in Ibeno Local Government Area of the state following a bloody clash between the migrants fishermen of Ilaje of Yoruba extraction and the natives of  Ibeno.

The dust to dawn curfew announced  yesterday by the LGA Chairman, High Chief  Henry Mkpa, is to stop further escalation of the conflict which  has led to the killing  of scores and  many houses burnt.

The local government boss  imposed the indefinite dusk to dawn curfew with full restrictions of both individual and vehicular movements within the troubled oil rich riverine communities from 7:00pm to 6:00am in a statement issued yesterday. 

The chairman warned that  those apprehended during the curfew period would be prosecuted.

“Following the violent clash between the Yoruba community and indigenes of Mkpanak group of communities in Ibeno council area, which has resulted in the loss of lives and properties, the Executive Chairman of Ibeno Local Government Area has declared a dusk to dawn curfew from 7:00pm to 6:00am with immediate effect till further notice.

“Sequel to the above, human and vehicular movements are prohibited in any part of the Local Government, while security agencies have been put on alert to strictly enforce this order, and anyone found during these hours will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly”, the statement warned.

No fewer than 10 persons were feared killed and several others missing while property estimated at several millions of naira have been reportedly destroyed in the  bloody communal clash recorded  early Wednesday involving  the  Yoruba (Ilaje) residents  and the natives of the riverine Ibeno Local Area of the  State.

The Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo, it was gathered, has visited the troubled Ibeno community, host to ExxonMobil, with a view to calming frayed nerves and   give succour to the hundreds of the Internally  Displaced Persons (IDPs).